1 00:00:04,755 --> 00:00:08,995 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:21,155 --> 00:00:26,035 Speaker 1: I want to congratulate Chairman Jamie Comber and the Republicans 3 00:00:26,115 --> 00:00:31,035 Speaker 1: on what they accomplished, the message, the indelible words they 4 00:00:31,075 --> 00:00:34,755 Speaker 1: sent to America on the first day of their hearings 5 00:00:35,195 --> 00:00:39,155 Speaker 1: about Twitter. Would you like me to give the direct quote? Yeah, um, 6 00:00:39,835 --> 00:00:42,155 Speaker 1: please excuse my language, this is a direct quote. But 7 00:00:42,315 --> 00:00:45,475 Speaker 1: Chrissy Teagan referred to Donald Trump as a pussy aspitch. 8 00:00:45,955 --> 00:00:50,115 Speaker 1: Thank you Congressman Comber and Congressman Jordan's and Speaker McCarthy 9 00:00:50,435 --> 00:00:54,235 Speaker 1: and everybody else for getting that accurate characterization of Donald 10 00:00:54,275 --> 00:00:58,515 Speaker 1: Trump into the congressional record at your own hearing. I 11 00:00:58,595 --> 00:01:02,955 Speaker 1: in fact would like to associate myself with the witnesses remarks. 12 00:01:04,035 --> 00:01:07,675 Speaker 1: That's ex actually what Trump is? Um, what was it again? 13 00:01:07,915 --> 00:01:10,995 Speaker 1: Chrissy Teagan referred to Donald Trump as a pussy aspect. 14 00:01:11,435 --> 00:01:14,115 Speaker 1: But of course it's more than the Republican's success in 15 00:01:14,195 --> 00:01:17,795 Speaker 1: giving that tweet its own congressional hearing between the news 16 00:01:17,795 --> 00:01:21,755 Speaker 1: speaker unsuccessfully trying to shush his own human garbage like 17 00:01:21,835 --> 00:01:25,275 Speaker 1: Bobert and Green and the others from yelling, and then 18 00:01:25,315 --> 00:01:27,675 Speaker 1: getting owned by the President during the State of the 19 00:01:27,755 --> 00:01:32,115 Speaker 1: Union address and the Twitter hearing about you know, and 20 00:01:32,195 --> 00:01:35,835 Speaker 1: the Social Security cutting debate. Kevin McCarthy and members of 21 00:01:35,875 --> 00:01:40,235 Speaker 1: the Oversight Committee and other Republican congressmen and senators have 22 00:01:40,395 --> 00:01:43,915 Speaker 1: now presided over what might have been the biggest string 23 00:01:44,395 --> 00:01:48,955 Speaker 1: of self inflicted humiliations for one party in a thirty 24 00:01:48,995 --> 00:01:53,475 Speaker 1: six hour span in the history of the legislative branch. 25 00:01:55,275 --> 00:01:59,475 Speaker 1: Let's start at that Twitter Hunter Biden laptop hearing, or 26 00:01:59,515 --> 00:02:02,515 Speaker 1: what was supposed to be the Twitter Hunter Biden laptop hearing. 27 00:02:03,195 --> 00:02:06,075 Speaker 1: I want to congratulate Chair and Comber on revealing to 28 00:02:06,115 --> 00:02:09,435 Speaker 1: the American public how the government of the United States 29 00:02:09,475 --> 00:02:12,595 Speaker 1: really did try to censor Twitter and get it to 30 00:02:12,955 --> 00:02:20,235 Speaker 1: delete material at the direct instructions of President Trump. According 31 00:02:20,315 --> 00:02:24,475 Speaker 1: to notes from a conversation with you, msn Vorli's counsel. 32 00:02:24,635 --> 00:02:28,915 Speaker 1: Your counsel the White House almost immediately thereafter contacted Twitter 33 00:02:29,315 --> 00:02:32,515 Speaker 1: to demand the tweet be taken down. Is that accurate? 34 00:02:34,915 --> 00:02:37,315 Speaker 1: Thank you for the question. In my role, I was 35 00:02:37,395 --> 00:02:41,755 Speaker 1: not responsible for receiving any sort of request from the government. However, 36 00:02:42,195 --> 00:02:45,195 Speaker 1: what I was Privy two was my supervisors letting us 37 00:02:45,235 --> 00:02:48,315 Speaker 1: know that we had received something along those lines or 38 00:02:48,395 --> 00:02:52,675 Speaker 1: something of a request. That's Representative Jerry Connolly of Massachusetts, 39 00:02:52,715 --> 00:02:55,355 Speaker 1: who also pointed out that from the White House, Trump 40 00:02:55,395 --> 00:02:59,635 Speaker 1: said Twitter had totally silenced conservatives, so he was ready 41 00:02:59,675 --> 00:03:08,035 Speaker 1: to shut Twitter down. On May twenty twenty, President Donald J. 42 00:03:08,355 --> 00:03:12,435 Speaker 1: Trump tweeted an I quote Republicans feel that social media 43 00:03:12,515 --> 00:03:16,115 Speaker 1: platforms totally silence conservatives, by the way, something that would 44 00:03:16,155 --> 00:03:18,315 Speaker 1: come as news to you, apparently, Mr Roth, because you're 45 00:03:18,355 --> 00:03:23,435 Speaker 1: still the subject of conservative harassment. We will strongly regulate, 46 00:03:23,475 --> 00:03:28,355 Speaker 1: he went on to say, or close them down before 47 00:03:28,435 --> 00:03:32,635 Speaker 1: we ever allow this to happen. Unquote msn Aroli. Doesn't 48 00:03:32,635 --> 00:03:38,355 Speaker 1: that sound eerily like a govern official telling Twitter that 49 00:03:38,475 --> 00:03:41,435 Speaker 1: there's a threat, will shut you down if we don't 50 00:03:41,475 --> 00:03:46,075 Speaker 1: like the content. Day one for the Republicans long anticipated, 51 00:03:46,155 --> 00:03:50,275 Speaker 1: even in some quarters, feared hearings into Twitter and and 52 00:03:50,555 --> 00:03:54,675 Speaker 1: communism and the First Amendment and censorship and Hunter Biden 53 00:03:54,755 --> 00:03:59,115 Speaker 1: had a laptop and pants and the weaponization of weapons 54 00:03:59,235 --> 00:04:03,275 Speaker 1: and guess what where Jamie Comber and company. The lights 55 00:04:03,315 --> 00:04:08,875 Speaker 1: were on, but no one was home until the lights 56 00:04:08,915 --> 00:04:16,715 Speaker 1: went off. On June three, the Iranian autowah, KAMENI did 57 00:04:17,275 --> 00:04:22,635 Speaker 1: do that? Did Twitter do that? Turn a lots off? 58 00:04:23,515 --> 00:04:26,275 Speaker 1: I'm beginning to think Lauren Bobart and Marjorie Trader Green 59 00:04:26,355 --> 00:04:30,195 Speaker 1: may not be the dumbest Republicans in Congress. After all, 60 00:04:30,475 --> 00:04:33,635 Speaker 1: Jim Jordan's had to admit that the First Amendment does 61 00:04:33,635 --> 00:04:37,315 Speaker 1: not apply to a private company's editorial policies. Paul Goes 62 00:04:37,395 --> 00:04:40,235 Speaker 1: are in the throes of something that made him literally 63 00:04:40,395 --> 00:04:44,915 Speaker 1: so unintelligible that four different witnesses asked him to repeat 64 00:04:44,995 --> 00:04:49,115 Speaker 1: his question. Jamie Comer had to listen to Twitter executives 65 00:04:49,075 --> 00:04:52,515 Speaker 1: explained no, they actually did have to kill tweets that 66 00:04:52,555 --> 00:04:56,515 Speaker 1: had revenge porn nude photos in them, even if they 67 00:04:56,515 --> 00:05:00,155 Speaker 1: were of Hunter Biden. Just About the only thing that 68 00:05:00,235 --> 00:05:03,715 Speaker 1: did not happen to the Republicans in this long, painful 69 00:05:03,835 --> 00:05:08,755 Speaker 1: backfire was Comber's college girlfriend coming into testify about her 70 00:05:08,795 --> 00:05:14,195 Speaker 1: claims that he beat her. Plus, we're always going to 71 00:05:14,195 --> 00:05:17,955 Speaker 1: be left with these words to live by Donald Trump 72 00:05:18,035 --> 00:05:20,795 Speaker 1: as a pussy aspect. I think I am speaking for 73 00:05:20,835 --> 00:05:22,235 Speaker 1: a lot of us when I say there was a 74 00:05:22,275 --> 00:05:24,595 Speaker 1: certain fear that the new McCarthy is m of Kevin 75 00:05:24,675 --> 00:05:27,835 Speaker 1: McCarthy and Jamie Comber and Jim Jordan might do more 76 00:05:27,875 --> 00:05:31,195 Speaker 1: than just provide grist for the fascist mill and sound 77 00:05:31,195 --> 00:05:34,315 Speaker 1: bites for the Tucker Curlson Show that it might like 78 00:05:34,435 --> 00:05:37,275 Speaker 1: the House on American Activities Committee of the forties and fifties, 79 00:05:37,515 --> 00:05:41,755 Speaker 1: or even the Menghazi investigations actually do some damage to 80 00:05:41,835 --> 00:05:47,275 Speaker 1: Democrats and liberals in government and out. Yeah, maybe not 81 00:05:48,035 --> 00:05:51,315 Speaker 1: if you missed it. The Republican talking point about the 82 00:05:51,355 --> 00:05:54,035 Speaker 1: state of the Union both Tuesday night and all day 83 00:05:54,155 --> 00:05:57,795 Speaker 1: yesterday was our President Biden supposedly lied about the GOP 84 00:05:58,035 --> 00:06:01,595 Speaker 1: stance on gutting social Security and Medicare. I even saw 85 00:06:01,675 --> 00:06:04,755 Speaker 1: a liberal writer say that Kevin McCarthy had made it 86 00:06:04,795 --> 00:06:07,355 Speaker 1: clear that those were now third rail issues and they 87 00:06:07,395 --> 00:06:10,195 Speaker 1: would not be part of the financial crisis. The Republicans 88 00:06:10,235 --> 00:06:14,115 Speaker 1: intend to force as usual about raising the debt ceiling. 89 00:06:14,915 --> 00:06:18,955 Speaker 1: But Biden was not talking just about raising the debt ceiling. 90 00:06:19,115 --> 00:06:25,115 Speaker 1: He was talking about the repeated, forceful, widespread spoken, tweeted, written, 91 00:06:25,595 --> 00:06:30,515 Speaker 1: prayed to promises by Republicans that they would cut, gut, alter, 92 00:06:30,755 --> 00:06:34,995 Speaker 1: and privatize Social Security and Medicare. So the Republicans spent 93 00:06:35,075 --> 00:06:38,195 Speaker 1: a night and a day denying something very specific and 94 00:06:38,395 --> 00:06:42,595 Speaker 1: very small, while the White House and the Democrats circulated 95 00:06:42,635 --> 00:06:44,555 Speaker 1: all the sound bites and all the quotes and all 96 00:06:44,595 --> 00:06:47,875 Speaker 1: the tweets confirming that Biden was right that Republican after 97 00:06:47,915 --> 00:06:52,675 Speaker 1: Republican has insisted on cutting or altering Social Security and Medicare, 98 00:06:53,195 --> 00:06:55,955 Speaker 1: and as he answered their childish cat calls during the 99 00:06:55,995 --> 00:06:59,275 Speaker 1: State of the Union, he baited them into their as 100 00:06:59,555 --> 00:07:02,995 Speaker 1: he put it, conversion to defending both programs. And then 101 00:07:03,035 --> 00:07:06,475 Speaker 1: he baited them again, lying about what large numbers of 102 00:07:06,475 --> 00:07:09,875 Speaker 1: them have said on the record. And yesterday in Wisconsin, 103 00:07:09,995 --> 00:07:13,795 Speaker 1: Biden went further. He named names. He held up a 104 00:07:13,915 --> 00:07:17,995 Speaker 1: copy of Senator Rick Scott of Florida's Rescue America plan, 105 00:07:18,075 --> 00:07:21,435 Speaker 1: in which Social Security and Medicare would not just be cut, 106 00:07:21,875 --> 00:07:26,595 Speaker 1: they would sunset. They would automatically stop every five years 107 00:07:26,675 --> 00:07:31,755 Speaker 1: unless Congress voted them back into existence. Biden also held 108 00:07:31,835 --> 00:07:35,035 Speaker 1: up print outs from Wisconsin's own and of course Russia's own, 109 00:07:35,115 --> 00:07:39,915 Speaker 1: Ron Johnson saying sunset every five years. That's outrageous. We 110 00:07:39,995 --> 00:07:44,635 Speaker 1: need to sunset it every year. Another sitting Senator, Mike 111 00:07:44,755 --> 00:07:48,955 Speaker 1: Lee on tape, saying it was his object to phase 112 00:07:49,075 --> 00:07:52,155 Speaker 1: out Social Security, to pull it out by the roots. 113 00:07:52,435 --> 00:07:55,755 Speaker 1: Lindsey Graham wanting the age of eligibility to go up 114 00:07:55,755 --> 00:07:59,155 Speaker 1: and the payouts to go down Steve Scalise, proposing all 115 00:07:59,195 --> 00:08:03,235 Speaker 1: of it, privatizing, delaying, cutting, and ineligibility if you earned 116 00:08:03,275 --> 00:08:05,795 Speaker 1: too much in your lifetime. Him and just a week 117 00:08:05,835 --> 00:08:09,635 Speaker 1: ago today, the last Republican Vice President of the United 118 00:08:09,675 --> 00:08:13,075 Speaker 1: States not just call for cutting Social Security. He said 119 00:08:13,075 --> 00:08:15,955 Speaker 1: he wanted to privatize it so that the money could 120 00:08:15,955 --> 00:08:19,395 Speaker 1: go into the stock market and the banking industry. And 121 00:08:19,515 --> 00:08:22,275 Speaker 1: he didn't mention this part so all his donors can 122 00:08:22,315 --> 00:08:26,555 Speaker 1: get a cut of the money you paid into Social Security. 123 00:08:27,075 --> 00:08:30,115 Speaker 1: Other Republicans who have called for cutbacks or cutouts or 124 00:08:30,115 --> 00:08:35,595 Speaker 1: privatizations Senator Marker Rubio, Senator John Thune, Congressman Jim Banks, 125 00:08:35,875 --> 00:08:40,275 Speaker 1: Congressman Michael Waltz, Senate nominee Blake Masters, Senator Tom Tillis, 126 00:08:40,595 --> 00:08:45,195 Speaker 1: Congressman Jody Arrington, Congressman Buddy Carter, and Congressman Lloyd Smucker, 127 00:08:46,435 --> 00:08:50,275 Speaker 1: and Congressman Jason Smith. And last November, then Minority Leader 128 00:08:50,355 --> 00:08:54,915 Speaker 1: Kevin McCarthy and presidential candidate Barry Goldwater and presidential candidate 129 00:08:54,995 --> 00:08:58,315 Speaker 1: Ronald Reagan and President George W. Bush. But that's it 130 00:08:59,235 --> 00:09:02,395 Speaker 1: only then, oh and and the members of the Republican 131 00:09:02,435 --> 00:09:08,915 Speaker 1: Study Committee, just a few Republican congress seven of them, 132 00:09:08,955 --> 00:09:12,435 Speaker 1: as if it could somehow have gotten worse for the Republicans, 133 00:09:12,715 --> 00:09:16,155 Speaker 1: it did. Yesterday. There were two groups who spent the 134 00:09:16,235 --> 00:09:19,355 Speaker 1: day bitching and moaning about what Joe Biden had said 135 00:09:19,395 --> 00:09:22,915 Speaker 1: about them on Tuesday night in the State of the Union, or, 136 00:09:22,955 --> 00:09:25,755 Speaker 1: as the Republicans view it, the Night of the massive 137 00:09:25,915 --> 00:09:29,555 Speaker 1: but hurt. One of them was the Republican Party, and 138 00:09:29,635 --> 00:09:34,115 Speaker 1: the other complainant was the Foreign Ministry of the People's 139 00:09:34,115 --> 00:09:38,955 Speaker 1: Republic of China. The Associated Press headline China says it 140 00:09:39,035 --> 00:09:42,475 Speaker 1: was smeared in biden State of the Union speech the 141 00:09:42,555 --> 00:09:48,995 Speaker 1: Republicans arm and arm with the Chinese Communists, and if 142 00:09:49,035 --> 00:09:51,595 Speaker 1: that were not punchline enough, the punch line of all 143 00:09:51,755 --> 00:09:56,155 Speaker 1: punchlines for all time. The Chinese statement was made by 144 00:09:56,315 --> 00:10:05,555 Speaker 1: Foreign Ministry spokesman Mawning Joe Biden under attack by Speaker 145 00:10:05,635 --> 00:10:24,515 Speaker 1: McCarthy and spokesman Mao. Not enough rakes to go around 146 00:10:24,555 --> 00:10:29,795 Speaker 1: the Republican Party spokesman Mao still ahead. Why has the 147 00:10:29,835 --> 00:10:35,715 Speaker 1: ironically named Project Veritas ousted Little Jimmy O'Keefe. Maybe something 148 00:10:35,755 --> 00:10:39,155 Speaker 1: to do with a stolen diary. Maybe is Twitter back 149 00:10:39,235 --> 00:10:44,755 Speaker 1: up for you? Instagram, Facebook, Google, Aws, your McDonald's app YouTube. 150 00:10:45,195 --> 00:10:49,075 Speaker 1: How about Pokemon Go? Were you denied Pokemon Go? During 151 00:10:49,075 --> 00:10:54,115 Speaker 1: the big app out of the National Hypocrisy League rides again, 152 00:10:54,115 --> 00:10:55,915 Speaker 1: a team says it's not going to wear Pride Night 153 00:10:55,955 --> 00:11:00,035 Speaker 1: uniforms because it never chooses to wear such special uniforms itself. 154 00:11:00,035 --> 00:11:02,635 Speaker 1: It only wears them when the league demands it, like 155 00:11:02,795 --> 00:11:07,875 Speaker 1: on Military pre station night or St. Patrick's Day. The 156 00:11:07,955 --> 00:11:11,555 Speaker 1: league demands you wear a special uniform on St. Patrick's Day, 157 00:11:12,115 --> 00:11:16,275 Speaker 1: my ass and a regular listener has now asked me 158 00:11:16,315 --> 00:11:20,755 Speaker 1: how many times somebody has tried to get me fired? Anybody? 159 00:11:20,755 --> 00:11:23,835 Speaker 1: He means President, small players, Sportscarencer. Let me tell you this. 160 00:11:24,275 --> 00:11:28,195 Speaker 1: No man can count that. I but once an entire 161 00:11:28,315 --> 00:11:32,635 Speaker 1: Major League Baseball franchise got me fired from a job 162 00:11:32,675 --> 00:11:36,195 Speaker 1: I had not even started yet, things I promised not 163 00:11:36,275 --> 00:11:46,555 Speaker 1: to tell. That's next. This is countdown. This is countdown 164 00:11:46,875 --> 00:12:05,835 Speaker 1: with Keith Olberman. This is SportsCenter. Wait, check that not anymore. 165 00:12:06,435 --> 00:12:12,835 Speaker 1: This is countdown with Keith Alberman in sports Man. The 166 00:12:12,955 --> 00:12:16,595 Speaker 1: National Hockey League just keeps digging. First, the Philadelphia Flyers 167 00:12:16,595 --> 00:12:20,515 Speaker 1: applauded one of their players who refused to participate in 168 00:12:20,715 --> 00:12:23,595 Speaker 1: Pride Night, even just to the extent of wearing a 169 00:12:23,635 --> 00:12:27,235 Speaker 1: pregame warm up shirt with his number in rainbow colors 170 00:12:27,355 --> 00:12:30,715 Speaker 1: rather than the usual white. Then, with the crowd already 171 00:12:30,715 --> 00:12:33,235 Speaker 1: in the stands for their seventh Pride Night, the New 172 00:12:33,315 --> 00:12:37,355 Speaker 1: York Rangers abandoned their pregame Pride warm up shirts and 173 00:12:37,395 --> 00:12:41,275 Speaker 1: didn't explain why. Then, the commissioner of the League, Gary Bettman, 174 00:12:41,355 --> 00:12:44,355 Speaker 1: said the NHL had to be safe for all diversity. 175 00:12:44,835 --> 00:12:49,675 Speaker 1: So the Russian players, whose Russian Orthodox Religion advocates, you know, 176 00:12:49,755 --> 00:12:53,995 Speaker 1: attacking Ukraine because Ukraine has Pride parades, their hatred and 177 00:12:54,075 --> 00:12:58,995 Speaker 1: homophobia is prioritized by the National Hypocrisy League over the 178 00:12:59,155 --> 00:13:03,515 Speaker 1: LGBTQ community that the NHL always boasts about serving with 179 00:13:03,595 --> 00:13:08,595 Speaker 1: its obviously meaningless and rather cynical merchandizing effort. Hockey is 180 00:13:08,675 --> 00:13:13,475 Speaker 1: for everyone, unless you happen to offend some Russian Orthodox 181 00:13:13,635 --> 00:13:18,155 Speaker 1: Church member. Now, the NHL's New York Islanders confirmed they 182 00:13:18,155 --> 00:13:20,715 Speaker 1: will hold their Pride Night this evening, but they will 183 00:13:20,755 --> 00:13:23,675 Speaker 1: again not wear any special warm up uniforms. The team 184 00:13:23,675 --> 00:13:26,315 Speaker 1: says it has never warned them, and in fact, it 185 00:13:26,355 --> 00:13:30,715 Speaker 1: has an organizational policy against wearing any specialized warmups. The 186 00:13:30,755 --> 00:13:34,995 Speaker 1: Islanders say they do wear specialized warmups on Hockey Fights, 187 00:13:35,035 --> 00:13:40,435 Speaker 1: Cancer Night and Hockey Military Night and St. Patrick's Day, 188 00:13:40,475 --> 00:13:43,755 Speaker 1: but only because the National Hockey League makes them. Those 189 00:13:43,755 --> 00:13:48,675 Speaker 1: are league wide initiatives. The NHL makes the New York 190 00:13:48,715 --> 00:13:54,755 Speaker 1: Islanders where St. Patrick's Day uniforms and Military Night uniforms, 191 00:13:54,955 --> 00:13:59,275 Speaker 1: but its teams are now reneging on Pride Night. And 192 00:13:59,315 --> 00:14:01,995 Speaker 1: as if the NHL needed another problem, last night was 193 00:14:02,035 --> 00:14:05,475 Speaker 1: Black History Month Night at Madison's Square Garden in the 194 00:14:05,475 --> 00:14:08,995 Speaker 1: New York Rangers war special warm ups and had great ceremonies, 195 00:14:09,155 --> 00:14:13,075 Speaker 1: all good, and then their TV reporter Michelle Jingras announced 196 00:14:13,235 --> 00:14:16,035 Speaker 1: that they would be auctioned off. The uniforms would with 197 00:14:16,075 --> 00:14:20,315 Speaker 1: proceeds going to the quote United Negro Fund. That would 198 00:14:20,315 --> 00:14:23,235 Speaker 1: be the United Negro College Fund, which I guess she's 199 00:14:23,275 --> 00:14:25,875 Speaker 1: never heard of since it's only been operating since nineteen 200 00:14:27,995 --> 00:14:30,675 Speaker 1: A lighter note from hockey unless you happen to be 201 00:14:30,715 --> 00:14:34,235 Speaker 1: the owner of the Vermillion County Bobcats of the Southern 202 00:14:34,275 --> 00:14:38,675 Speaker 1: Professional Hockey League. Vermillion County, that is, Danville, Illinois was 203 00:14:38,715 --> 00:14:42,675 Speaker 1: hosting the visiting Quad City Storm add At the scheduled 204 00:14:42,675 --> 00:14:45,035 Speaker 1: puck drop time, the road team was on the ice 205 00:14:45,155 --> 00:14:47,835 Speaker 1: and warming up and the fans were at the rank 206 00:14:47,955 --> 00:14:52,435 Speaker 1: and the home team was nowhere to be found. After 207 00:14:52,475 --> 00:14:55,995 Speaker 1: a brief wait, the referees declared the visiting team, the Storm, 208 00:14:56,075 --> 00:14:59,755 Speaker 1: as winners by forfeit, and their players were gracious enough 209 00:14:59,795 --> 00:15:03,435 Speaker 1: to invite the Vermillion County fans to join them on 210 00:15:03,515 --> 00:15:06,715 Speaker 1: the ice for a group's gate. What happened to the 211 00:15:06,835 --> 00:15:10,795 Speaker 1: Vermillion County Bobcats? For some reason, the thought is they're 212 00:15:10,835 --> 00:15:13,795 Speaker 1: about to go out of business, possibly because in their 213 00:15:13,875 --> 00:15:17,155 Speaker 1: nearly two seasons of existence in that league, the Bobcats 214 00:15:17,155 --> 00:15:22,035 Speaker 1: have played eighty six games and lost seventy seven of them, 215 00:15:22,075 --> 00:15:25,835 Speaker 1: and yet somebody else always has it worse. Last night's 216 00:15:25,875 --> 00:15:30,875 Speaker 1: basketball game, Vermont at Maine delayed because Maine put its 217 00:15:30,955 --> 00:15:35,595 Speaker 1: basketball court in wrong. You heard me. A lot of 218 00:15:35,595 --> 00:15:39,515 Speaker 1: the wooden panels that make up the court were installed incorrectly, 219 00:15:39,595 --> 00:15:42,795 Speaker 1: kind of not backwards per se, but the left side 220 00:15:42,835 --> 00:15:45,835 Speaker 1: went where the right side should be, and as a result, 221 00:15:45,875 --> 00:15:48,915 Speaker 1: the baseline under the basket looked not like the straight 222 00:15:48,955 --> 00:15:50,675 Speaker 1: line it was supposed to be, but rather like a 223 00:15:50,755 --> 00:15:54,595 Speaker 1: dotted line on a rural highway. It took about eighty 224 00:15:54,635 --> 00:15:58,795 Speaker 1: minutes to fix, and now the question becomes, how in 225 00:15:58,795 --> 00:16:14,395 Speaker 1: the hell did this happen in the first place? Time 226 00:16:14,435 --> 00:16:16,555 Speaker 1: now for the daily roundup of the miscreants, morons and 227 00:16:16,635 --> 00:16:21,075 Speaker 1: done in Krueger effects specimens, who constitute today's worst persons 228 00:16:21,115 --> 00:16:26,035 Speaker 1: in the world, The Bronze Twitter. It went down yesterday. 229 00:16:26,515 --> 00:16:30,235 Speaker 1: First it was direct messages, Then any attempt to tweet 230 00:16:30,355 --> 00:16:33,315 Speaker 1: was greeted by a message that said you couldn't, or 231 00:16:33,355 --> 00:16:36,075 Speaker 1: you couldn't because you had already tweeted once too often 232 00:16:36,155 --> 00:16:39,915 Speaker 1: today And while users rightly fumed, it appears it was 233 00:16:39,955 --> 00:16:44,355 Speaker 1: hardly just Twitter, and for once it wasn't Elmo's fault. 234 00:16:44,875 --> 00:16:50,195 Speaker 1: There were outages at or at about the same time Instagram, Facebook, 235 00:16:50,355 --> 00:16:55,075 Speaker 1: Fox News, Tweet Deck, run Escape, Run Escape for Ruin 236 00:16:55,235 --> 00:17:01,075 Speaker 1: Arledge fans, Facebook Messenger, Google a WS, the McDonald's app YouTube, 237 00:17:01,115 --> 00:17:08,195 Speaker 1: and Pokemon Go the Big app out of three. No explanation, 238 00:17:08,395 --> 00:17:12,275 Speaker 1: lots of speculation. Our runner up, James O'Keefe, the Lee 239 00:17:12,355 --> 00:17:15,715 Speaker 1: Harvey Oswald look alike who runs the Dirty Tricks Gang, 240 00:17:15,835 --> 00:17:21,275 Speaker 1: sarcastically titled Project Very Toss or he did until yesterday, 241 00:17:21,315 --> 00:17:24,915 Speaker 1: when O'Keefe suddenly went on paid leave pending a board 242 00:17:24,995 --> 00:17:27,835 Speaker 1: hearing Friday. No official explanation from the group for the 243 00:17:27,955 --> 00:17:34,035 Speaker 1: not very successful Provocateurs departure. But New York Magazine reports 244 00:17:34,355 --> 00:17:38,635 Speaker 1: that quote internal turmoil, lawsuits from former employees, leaks about 245 00:17:38,635 --> 00:17:41,835 Speaker 1: its internal workings, and a federal investigation into its conduct 246 00:17:41,875 --> 00:17:45,515 Speaker 1: in purchasing a diary stolen from Ashley Biden, the president's 247 00:17:45,595 --> 00:17:48,515 Speaker 1: daughter may have paid, played a part, including the health 248 00:17:48,555 --> 00:17:52,035 Speaker 1: of the organization, the firing of two executives by O'Keefe, 249 00:17:52,075 --> 00:17:54,635 Speaker 1: who were then reinstated. The Daily Beast says at one 250 00:17:54,675 --> 00:17:58,195 Speaker 1: point O'Keefe took away a sandwich he wanted from a 251 00:17:58,235 --> 00:18:01,475 Speaker 1: pregnant woman who worked there. Maybe it was that, or maybe, 252 00:18:01,515 --> 00:18:04,395 Speaker 1: like the rest of us, they just don't like him. 253 00:18:04,475 --> 00:18:07,475 Speaker 1: But the winners Governor Rohn de Santis of Florida and 254 00:18:07,515 --> 00:18:11,115 Speaker 1: the chairperson of the Board of Education of Duval County, Florida, Dr. 255 00:18:11,195 --> 00:18:15,875 Speaker 1: Kelly Coker Duval That's Jacksonville. More than a year ago, 256 00:18:16,035 --> 00:18:20,075 Speaker 1: Dr Coker's board removed several dozen books from classrooms for 257 00:18:20,195 --> 00:18:23,955 Speaker 1: quote review. Nothing has been heard from these books since. 258 00:18:24,315 --> 00:18:26,875 Speaker 1: It turns out among the titles deemed dangerous enough that 259 00:18:26,995 --> 00:18:28,475 Speaker 1: kids have not been able to see them for the 260 00:18:28,555 --> 00:18:34,155 Speaker 1: last year. Henry Aaron's Dream, Roberto Clemente Pride to the 261 00:18:34,155 --> 00:18:39,355 Speaker 1: Pittsburgh Pirates. Unstoppable, How Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indians 262 00:18:39,395 --> 00:18:43,115 Speaker 1: School football team defeated Army one of the Baron Stain 263 00:18:43,315 --> 00:18:47,315 Speaker 1: Bears books, and most stunning of all. Another book called 264 00:18:47,395 --> 00:18:50,515 Speaker 1: The Hero two Doors Down, based on the true story 265 00:18:50,555 --> 00:18:53,835 Speaker 1: of friendship between a boy and a baseball legend. The 266 00:18:53,875 --> 00:18:59,755 Speaker 1: book is about Jackie Robinson. Jackie Robinson, whose first game 267 00:18:59,795 --> 00:19:02,675 Speaker 1: in the uniform of an integrated team in spring training 268 00:19:02,675 --> 00:19:06,715 Speaker 1: of n when he broke the color barrier in major 269 00:19:06,755 --> 00:19:10,795 Speaker 1: sports in this country took place in Daytona Beach, Florida, 270 00:19:11,315 --> 00:19:14,555 Speaker 1: oh And the book that Duval County, Florida Band about 271 00:19:14,635 --> 00:19:20,435 Speaker 1: Jackie Robinson. It was written by Sharon Robinson, Jackie's daughter, 272 00:19:21,635 --> 00:19:25,955 Speaker 1: Florida Dictator Ron DeSantis and his educational ava Braun Duval 273 00:19:26,035 --> 00:19:29,755 Speaker 1: County Board of Education chairperson Dr Kelly Let's Band books 274 00:19:29,755 --> 00:19:37,075 Speaker 1: about integrating baseball. Coker two Days, Worst Parsons in the 275 00:19:37,155 --> 00:19:51,795 Speaker 1: World still ahead on countdown. A regular listener followed up 276 00:19:51,795 --> 00:19:54,235 Speaker 1: on a joke I made yesterday, and he asked, how 277 00:19:54,235 --> 00:19:57,115 Speaker 1: many people have tried to get you fired? That made 278 00:19:57,115 --> 00:19:59,515 Speaker 1: me think of the time a Major League baseball team 279 00:19:59,515 --> 00:20:03,515 Speaker 1: got me fired from Baseball's own network before I even 280 00:20:03,555 --> 00:20:06,395 Speaker 1: started on the job. They had just offered to me 281 00:20:07,195 --> 00:20:09,195 Speaker 1: coming up on things I promised not to tell first. 282 00:20:09,235 --> 00:20:11,395 Speaker 1: In each addition of Countdown, we feature dog in need 283 00:20:11,435 --> 00:20:13,875 Speaker 1: you can help. Every dog has its day back to 284 00:20:13,955 --> 00:20:18,475 Speaker 1: New York. This time Second Chance Rescue in Queens has 285 00:20:18,515 --> 00:20:22,195 Speaker 1: a terrible story, hopefully with a good outcome. Somebody moved 286 00:20:22,315 --> 00:20:26,395 Speaker 1: and left their three dogs abandoned on the property. Were 287 00:20:26,395 --> 00:20:28,475 Speaker 1: that not bad enough? Somehow? One of the dogs, a 288 00:20:28,475 --> 00:20:31,315 Speaker 1: girl named Gemma looks like a cross between a shepherd 289 00:20:31,355 --> 00:20:34,035 Speaker 1: and a husky maybe even a malamute, had a tail 290 00:20:34,115 --> 00:20:37,955 Speaker 1: injury so severe she was bleeding to death. Second Chance 291 00:20:38,035 --> 00:20:40,755 Speaker 1: picked her up is now running a fundraiser for her 292 00:20:40,795 --> 00:20:43,915 Speaker 1: on giving Grid. If you can donate, you can find 293 00:20:43,995 --> 00:20:46,795 Speaker 1: Gemma on giving Grid or on my Twitter feed, and 294 00:20:46,835 --> 00:20:50,115 Speaker 1: your retweets will also help her greatly. I thank you, 295 00:20:50,835 --> 00:21:12,995 Speaker 1: and of course Gemma thanks you. The owners of at 296 00:21:13,075 --> 00:21:16,195 Speaker 1: least five different Major League Baseball teams have tried to 297 00:21:16,195 --> 00:21:19,235 Speaker 1: get me fired over the years, and one, the New 298 00:21:19,315 --> 00:21:24,475 Speaker 1: York Yankees, kind of succeeded. On November two thousand twelve, 299 00:21:24,595 --> 00:21:27,915 Speaker 1: Why Agent followed the instructions of Tony Pettiti, than the 300 00:21:27,955 --> 00:21:30,835 Speaker 1: president of the TV publicity channel owned by Major League 301 00:21:30,835 --> 00:21:34,635 Speaker 1: Baseball MLB Network, and called Petiti to finalize a deal 302 00:21:34,635 --> 00:21:36,795 Speaker 1: by which I would join the channel to do a 303 00:21:36,955 --> 00:21:39,915 Speaker 1: daily show, probably at five thirty at night. It was 304 00:21:39,955 --> 00:21:43,595 Speaker 1: going to be weird. MLB Network and its sister hockey channel, 305 00:21:43,795 --> 00:21:46,995 Speaker 1: NHL Network originate in the same studios in Caucus, New 306 00:21:47,075 --> 00:21:50,995 Speaker 1: Jersey that MSNBC used every day from the day I 307 00:21:51,075 --> 00:21:55,515 Speaker 1: started there in October through the day in October two 308 00:21:55,515 --> 00:21:58,395 Speaker 1: thousand seven when NBC finally moved us to New York City. 309 00:21:59,155 --> 00:22:02,155 Speaker 1: I had been asked to do something for MLB Network 310 00:22:02,235 --> 00:22:04,595 Speaker 1: in two thousand eight and two thousand nine, before it 311 00:22:04,675 --> 00:22:07,555 Speaker 1: ever got on the air. The request came directly from 312 00:22:07,555 --> 00:22:10,835 Speaker 1: the then Commissioner of Baseball, Bud Sealing. He also asked 313 00:22:10,835 --> 00:22:13,595 Speaker 1: me to write for Baseball's website, MLB dot Com. We 314 00:22:13,715 --> 00:22:17,155 Speaker 1: actually got that done, but the TV show was impossible 315 00:22:17,155 --> 00:22:20,035 Speaker 1: because of my schedule until I was a free agent 316 00:22:20,075 --> 00:22:23,155 Speaker 1: in the fall of two thousand twelve. So I was 317 00:22:23,195 --> 00:22:25,195 Speaker 1: invited in the fall of two thousand twelve to do 318 00:22:25,235 --> 00:22:27,875 Speaker 1: a couple of guest appearances at MLB Network, and they 319 00:22:27,915 --> 00:22:31,755 Speaker 1: went well except for this crazy deja vu kind of 320 00:22:31,795 --> 00:22:33,355 Speaker 1: thing that hit me when I went into the building 321 00:22:33,395 --> 00:22:37,115 Speaker 1: and found that while Baseball had spent sixty million dollars 322 00:22:37,155 --> 00:22:40,395 Speaker 1: to upgrade all the technical stuff in the studio designs, 323 00:22:40,875 --> 00:22:45,115 Speaker 1: they had not touched anything else from the MSNBC era. 324 00:22:45,955 --> 00:22:50,435 Speaker 1: The carpet tiles were the same, the ping pong table 325 00:22:50,515 --> 00:22:53,795 Speaker 1: in the break room was the same. The signs on 326 00:22:53,835 --> 00:22:56,635 Speaker 1: the back of the bathroom door telling you who to 327 00:22:56,715 --> 00:23:01,275 Speaker 1: call if the John overflows were the same. It was 328 00:23:01,395 --> 00:23:04,395 Speaker 1: like having a dream where you're back in your childhood 329 00:23:04,475 --> 00:23:07,155 Speaker 1: home when everything is exactly the way it was, including 330 00:23:07,155 --> 00:23:10,155 Speaker 1: the creeks and the floorboards, except oh, by the way, 331 00:23:10,195 --> 00:23:12,595 Speaker 1: there's a nuclear reactor in the middle of your den, 332 00:23:12,675 --> 00:23:17,155 Speaker 1: and you keep saying, where did that come from? Anyway, 333 00:23:17,195 --> 00:23:20,395 Speaker 1: The guest appearances on MLB Network went well, and this 334 00:23:20,435 --> 00:23:23,435 Speaker 1: guy Pettiti, the president, asked if I would fill in 335 00:23:23,475 --> 00:23:25,635 Speaker 1: for two days on their new morning show the week 336 00:23:25,675 --> 00:23:27,795 Speaker 1: of Thanksgiving two thousand twelve. I certainly knew how to 337 00:23:27,795 --> 00:23:30,195 Speaker 1: get to the building. I did the shows with Brian 338 00:23:30,275 --> 00:23:33,875 Speaker 1: Kenny and Ken Rosenthal and Bob Costas, his son Keith, 339 00:23:33,955 --> 00:23:36,915 Speaker 1: and Alana Rizzo, and we had a good time and 340 00:23:37,115 --> 00:23:40,435 Speaker 1: Tony Pettiti, the president of MLB Network, attended the meetings 341 00:23:40,435 --> 00:23:43,275 Speaker 1: that we would have before and after each show. I 342 00:23:43,275 --> 00:23:47,035 Speaker 1: mean full staff meetings, fifteen or so people standing around 343 00:23:47,035 --> 00:23:50,795 Speaker 1: a bunch of cubicles, and in front of all of them, 344 00:23:50,915 --> 00:23:53,275 Speaker 1: Tony Petiti began asking me if I thought my new 345 00:23:53,315 --> 00:23:55,595 Speaker 1: show for MLB Network would do better at five or 346 00:23:55,635 --> 00:23:57,715 Speaker 1: five thirty, and if I agreed with him that I 347 00:23:57,715 --> 00:24:01,075 Speaker 1: should work only during the baseball season and spring training 348 00:24:01,115 --> 00:24:04,275 Speaker 1: and playoffs and winter meetings, and then stay fresh by 349 00:24:04,315 --> 00:24:07,115 Speaker 1: taking the rest of the year off. He asked me 350 00:24:07,155 --> 00:24:09,435 Speaker 1: if there were people on the staff of the morning 351 00:24:09,475 --> 00:24:11,435 Speaker 1: show who I would like to work with. I mean, 352 00:24:11,435 --> 00:24:13,275 Speaker 1: this is in front of all of the staff of 353 00:24:13,275 --> 00:24:16,435 Speaker 1: the morning show. He warned me they couldn't pay me 354 00:24:16,475 --> 00:24:17,995 Speaker 1: the kind of salary I was used to, and I 355 00:24:18,035 --> 00:24:19,995 Speaker 1: said that happily, the kind of salary I was used 356 00:24:19,995 --> 00:24:22,475 Speaker 1: to meant I did not need the kind of salary 357 00:24:22,515 --> 00:24:25,075 Speaker 1: I was used to. He told me to remind my 358 00:24:25,155 --> 00:24:27,955 Speaker 1: agent to call him the monday after Thanksgiving. He wished 359 00:24:27,955 --> 00:24:31,275 Speaker 1: me a happy Turkey, and everybody left, and everybody heard 360 00:24:31,315 --> 00:24:33,835 Speaker 1: his plans, and a couple of the producers asked me 361 00:24:33,875 --> 00:24:36,675 Speaker 1: if I was recommending them to be on my new 362 00:24:36,795 --> 00:24:41,275 Speaker 1: show on MLB Network. So how come I don't have 363 00:24:41,355 --> 00:24:43,275 Speaker 1: a new show on MLB network, Or how come we're 364 00:24:43,275 --> 00:24:45,475 Speaker 1: not celebrating the tenth anniversary of my new show on 365 00:24:45,595 --> 00:24:50,755 Speaker 1: MLB Network. Well, on Monday afternoon, my agent calls me 366 00:24:50,795 --> 00:24:52,875 Speaker 1: and says he's just gotten off the phone with Tony 367 00:24:52,915 --> 00:24:56,555 Speaker 1: Pettiti and it was the strangest conversation he had had 368 00:24:56,555 --> 00:25:00,235 Speaker 1: since he became an agent. No, let me rephrase that, 369 00:25:00,315 --> 00:25:02,955 Speaker 1: he said, because it wasn't a conversation, it was an 370 00:25:02,955 --> 00:25:06,035 Speaker 1: attempted conversation. I kept asking him what he told me 371 00:25:06,115 --> 00:25:09,875 Speaker 1: to call him about, and he would then say nothing. 372 00:25:11,155 --> 00:25:13,915 Speaker 1: Initially I did not understand what you mean he said nothing, 373 00:25:14,635 --> 00:25:18,515 Speaker 1: My agent said he meant literally that. I say, so, Tony, 374 00:25:18,555 --> 00:25:20,675 Speaker 1: what's your offer to Keith? And then there was silence, 375 00:25:21,395 --> 00:25:23,475 Speaker 1: and I thought the phone call had dropped out. So 376 00:25:23,515 --> 00:25:26,635 Speaker 1: I said, Tony, are you there? And he say sure, 377 00:25:26,675 --> 00:25:28,875 Speaker 1: am So again I asked him, you know what's your 378 00:25:28,875 --> 00:25:32,755 Speaker 1: offer to Keith? And again literally silence, Only this time 379 00:25:32,755 --> 00:25:36,115 Speaker 1: I can hear him breathing. I tried, like ten different ways, 380 00:25:36,355 --> 00:25:40,235 Speaker 1: are we talking about Keith? Now? Silence? Is there a 381 00:25:40,275 --> 00:25:43,795 Speaker 1: reason you're being silent about Keith Tony silence. If I 382 00:25:43,915 --> 00:25:46,635 Speaker 1: changed the subject, talked about somebody else, he was his 383 00:25:46,715 --> 00:25:49,875 Speaker 1: normal self. If I mentioned your name, he went silent. 384 00:25:51,515 --> 00:25:55,035 Speaker 1: The next day, the agent calls me back. Fatiti just 385 00:25:55,075 --> 00:25:57,115 Speaker 1: did this again with me on the phone. He wouldn't speak, literally, 386 00:25:57,115 --> 00:25:59,555 Speaker 1: wouldn't say any words in any language if I mentioned 387 00:25:59,595 --> 00:26:04,875 Speaker 1: your name. Took me a long time to find now 388 00:26:05,035 --> 00:26:08,355 Speaker 1: what had actually happened. The next baseball season, after I'd 389 00:26:08,395 --> 00:26:10,995 Speaker 1: gone back to work at ESPN, I'm at a game. 390 00:26:11,595 --> 00:26:13,835 Speaker 1: There's one of the MLB network officials whom I had 391 00:26:13,835 --> 00:26:16,635 Speaker 1: met on my two days before Thanksgiving two thousand twelve, 392 00:26:16,955 --> 00:26:20,155 Speaker 1: and this person comes up to me and apologizes. We 393 00:26:20,275 --> 00:26:23,195 Speaker 1: all heard what happened. It's so embarrassing. Patiti is such 394 00:26:23,235 --> 00:26:26,475 Speaker 1: a coward. The Yankees got to him and another club, 395 00:26:26,515 --> 00:26:28,635 Speaker 1: I never found out which one. There was some kind 396 00:26:28,635 --> 00:26:31,555 Speaker 1: of conference call on Monday after Thanksgiving to tell the 397 00:26:31,595 --> 00:26:33,555 Speaker 1: teams about your new show, and whoever was on the 398 00:26:33,555 --> 00:26:36,595 Speaker 1: call for the Yankees went ballistic. They said something like, 399 00:26:36,635 --> 00:26:38,755 Speaker 1: if you put them on MLB Network, we will disable 400 00:26:38,835 --> 00:26:41,515 Speaker 1: your cameras at Yankee Stadium and never let any of 401 00:26:41,555 --> 00:26:46,635 Speaker 1: you inside the building again. Instantly I knew why the 402 00:26:46,715 --> 00:26:51,035 Speaker 1: Yankees would have done that. I was, and my father 403 00:26:51,115 --> 00:26:54,315 Speaker 1: before me, a season ticket holder for forty two years 404 00:26:54,355 --> 00:26:56,955 Speaker 1: for Yankee games, and for ten of those years, I 405 00:26:57,035 --> 00:26:59,595 Speaker 1: was also one of the two announcers who did a 406 00:26:59,675 --> 00:27:02,795 Speaker 1: kind of play by play over the public address system 407 00:27:02,835 --> 00:27:06,035 Speaker 1: at Yankee Stadium on Old time His Day. And then 408 00:27:06,075 --> 00:27:09,675 Speaker 1: one day in two thousand eleven, I tweeted a photo 409 00:27:09,755 --> 00:27:12,635 Speaker 1: of a Yankee employee in the stands giving some sort 410 00:27:12,635 --> 00:27:16,755 Speaker 1: of hand signals to Alex Rodriguez in the on deck circle. 411 00:27:17,515 --> 00:27:20,715 Speaker 1: The guy was clearly telling Alex Rodriguez what the last 412 00:27:20,995 --> 00:27:25,035 Speaker 1: pitch had been. It wasn't cheating, it was helping a 413 00:27:25,195 --> 00:27:28,715 Speaker 1: supposed superstar who apparently could not figure out for himself 414 00:27:29,715 --> 00:27:33,075 Speaker 1: from on the field what the last pitch had been. 415 00:27:34,315 --> 00:27:37,435 Speaker 1: I tweeted the photo. Major League Baseball called the Yankees 416 00:27:37,435 --> 00:27:39,515 Speaker 1: and told them to cut it out. The Yankees and 417 00:27:39,595 --> 00:27:42,875 Speaker 1: a Rod looked stupid in the newspapers, and the Yankees 418 00:27:42,915 --> 00:27:45,075 Speaker 1: management said they were not mad at me. And then 419 00:27:45,155 --> 00:27:48,075 Speaker 1: three months later, days before Old Timer's Day, they leaked 420 00:27:48,115 --> 00:27:51,235 Speaker 1: to the papers that I had been fired as Old 421 00:27:51,235 --> 00:27:54,315 Speaker 1: Timer's Day play by play man because I had tweeted 422 00:27:54,315 --> 00:27:56,915 Speaker 1: that photo of Alex Rodriguez and the guy in the stands, 423 00:27:57,715 --> 00:28:01,675 Speaker 1: so rather naturally, my response was to not renew my 424 00:28:01,755 --> 00:28:04,195 Speaker 1: season tickets. And my tickets were right behind home plate 425 00:28:04,355 --> 00:28:06,955 Speaker 1: and they cost like four hundred thousand dollars a year, 426 00:28:07,235 --> 00:28:11,195 Speaker 1: and relax, I gave about se them to make a wish. 427 00:28:11,355 --> 00:28:14,475 Speaker 1: But the Yankees, being the Yankees, were furious that I 428 00:28:14,475 --> 00:28:18,435 Speaker 1: would not give them four hundred thousand dollars a year anyway, 429 00:28:18,435 --> 00:28:21,075 Speaker 1: so they told MLB Network if MLB Network gave me 430 00:28:21,115 --> 00:28:25,435 Speaker 1: a show, they would unplug MLB network cameras. Actually they 431 00:28:25,435 --> 00:28:28,515 Speaker 1: did more than that. I asked my friend, the MLB 432 00:28:28,635 --> 00:28:32,595 Speaker 1: network official, the real puzzler of the saga, why this 433 00:28:32,915 --> 00:28:37,195 Speaker 1: MLB Network President Tony Petiti, literally would not speak, would 434 00:28:37,235 --> 00:28:42,795 Speaker 1: not say anything, not even deals off to my agent. Oh, 435 00:28:42,835 --> 00:28:45,995 Speaker 1: the officials said, the Yankees were specific about that if 436 00:28:46,035 --> 00:28:48,235 Speaker 1: you say anything to him or his people, we will 437 00:28:48,235 --> 00:28:51,755 Speaker 1: get you fired. So Petiti took it literally. He said, 438 00:28:51,755 --> 00:28:54,595 Speaker 1: if you called or your agent called, to just give 439 00:28:54,675 --> 00:29:00,715 Speaker 1: you the silent treatment. These are adults, mind you, and 440 00:29:00,755 --> 00:29:03,635 Speaker 1: they say that on air. Talent are the prima donnas. 441 00:29:05,035 --> 00:29:07,835 Speaker 1: As I said, the Yankees are the closest of five 442 00:29:07,875 --> 00:29:10,515 Speaker 1: different teams who tried to act have actually gotten me 443 00:29:10,595 --> 00:29:13,395 Speaker 1: fired sort of. When I was in local news in 444 00:29:13,435 --> 00:29:16,315 Speaker 1: Los Angeles, Jackie Autrey, the woman who went from being 445 00:29:16,395 --> 00:29:19,555 Speaker 1: Gene Autry's banker to being his second wife, tried to 446 00:29:19,595 --> 00:29:21,795 Speaker 1: get me fired from my station in l A because 447 00:29:21,795 --> 00:29:25,195 Speaker 1: I had criticized their team, the California Angels. She tried 448 00:29:25,195 --> 00:29:27,475 Speaker 1: again a few years later after I got to ESPN. 449 00:29:28,355 --> 00:29:31,195 Speaker 1: Then there were the Tampa Bay Rays, well the devil 450 00:29:31,275 --> 00:29:34,155 Speaker 1: Rays at that point, whose first owner, Vince Namoli, was 451 00:29:34,235 --> 00:29:36,715 Speaker 1: convinced I had a vendetta against his team and was 452 00:29:36,755 --> 00:29:40,875 Speaker 1: making up stories about them that were accidentally true. He 453 00:29:40,915 --> 00:29:45,395 Speaker 1: could not conceive that somebody in his organization who he paid, 454 00:29:45,635 --> 00:29:48,755 Speaker 1: actually hated him so much that this person called me 455 00:29:48,835 --> 00:29:52,115 Speaker 1: up and volunteered to feed me anything bad that went 456 00:29:52,195 --> 00:29:55,915 Speaker 1: on there. But that is exactly what happened. So that's 457 00:29:55,915 --> 00:29:58,195 Speaker 1: the Yankees, the Angels, and the Rays, and there's a 458 00:29:58,235 --> 00:30:01,675 Speaker 1: mystery fifth team that was also involved in the MLB 459 00:30:01,795 --> 00:30:04,475 Speaker 1: network thing. And then there were the Chicago White Sox. 460 00:30:05,235 --> 00:30:08,315 Speaker 1: One of their co owners, Eddie Einhorn, was a big 461 00:30:08,315 --> 00:30:10,995 Speaker 1: fan of mine, but for forty four years the team 462 00:30:10,995 --> 00:30:14,035 Speaker 1: has been run by the other co owner, Jerry Ransdorff, 463 00:30:14,875 --> 00:30:17,475 Speaker 1: and Jerry Ryan'sdorff was one of the key figures in 464 00:30:17,515 --> 00:30:22,075 Speaker 1: the strike that killed the baseball season during that terrible 465 00:30:22,115 --> 00:30:25,875 Speaker 1: winter that followed, my sources in the Baseball Players Association 466 00:30:25,875 --> 00:30:28,835 Speaker 1: showed me a copy of their offer to the owners. 467 00:30:28,955 --> 00:30:32,435 Speaker 1: The owners were led by Ryansdorff, and in the players offer, 468 00:30:32,795 --> 00:30:35,595 Speaker 1: they were willing to actually negotiate one of the players 469 00:30:35,675 --> 00:30:41,075 Speaker 1: Union's sacred cows, salary arbitration. They were willing to cut 470 00:30:41,115 --> 00:30:45,475 Speaker 1: it or maybe eliminate it outright. But after complaining about 471 00:30:45,475 --> 00:30:48,995 Speaker 1: salary arbitration for twenty years, the owner's committee, led by 472 00:30:48,995 --> 00:30:54,555 Speaker 1: this Rhinsdorff idiot, turned the players down. Apparently most of 473 00:30:54,555 --> 00:30:57,195 Speaker 1: the owners did not know that Ryansdorff had passed on 474 00:30:57,235 --> 00:31:01,475 Speaker 1: a chance to eliminate salary arbitration, a kind of automatic 475 00:31:01,555 --> 00:31:05,755 Speaker 1: inflation thing within baseball contracts. And they came down on 476 00:31:05,835 --> 00:31:08,195 Speaker 1: Rhinsdorff like a ton of bricks. What do you mean 477 00:31:08,275 --> 00:31:13,035 Speaker 1: you turned down the chance to stop salary arbitration. So 478 00:31:13,115 --> 00:31:16,555 Speaker 1: naturally he blamed me, and he called up ESPN and 479 00:31:16,595 --> 00:31:18,795 Speaker 1: he demanded they fire me, which to their credit, they 480 00:31:18,835 --> 00:31:23,755 Speaker 1: never did do. Revenge is a dish which people have 481 00:31:23,835 --> 00:31:27,435 Speaker 1: taste prefer to eat cold goes. The old Italian proverb 482 00:31:27,635 --> 00:31:31,595 Speaker 1: Rhinsdorff is today despised within baseball. He has once again 483 00:31:31,715 --> 00:31:35,355 Speaker 1: ruined the Chicago White Sox. The Tampa Bay Rays owner 484 00:31:35,515 --> 00:31:39,275 Speaker 1: named Oley sold the team unknowingly, obviously to a man 485 00:31:39,395 --> 00:31:42,355 Speaker 1: named Stuart Sternberg, who turned out to be married to 486 00:31:42,355 --> 00:31:44,555 Speaker 1: a friend of mine from college. So whenever the Rays 487 00:31:44,555 --> 00:31:46,275 Speaker 1: would come into New York, I would sit with Stu 488 00:31:46,395 --> 00:31:49,035 Speaker 1: and his wife Lisa in their box. Their eldest son 489 00:31:49,155 --> 00:31:53,675 Speaker 1: interned for me. MLB network, which started out pretty good, 490 00:31:54,035 --> 00:31:56,595 Speaker 1: is now just a propaganda machine in which every team 491 00:31:56,635 --> 00:31:59,355 Speaker 1: is unbeaten and every player is the greatest ever. And 492 00:31:59,395 --> 00:32:02,755 Speaker 1: they fired their best reporter, Ken Rosenthal because he dared 493 00:32:02,795 --> 00:32:06,395 Speaker 1: to write something critical of the idiot Commissioner Robert Manfred 494 00:32:06,995 --> 00:32:10,915 Speaker 1: and Mr renege on the offer Petiti, he really got 495 00:32:11,035 --> 00:32:14,555 Speaker 1: his three years later he was promoted to Deputy Commissioner 496 00:32:14,555 --> 00:32:18,395 Speaker 1: of Baseball, but that new commissioner Manfred squeezed him out 497 00:32:19,115 --> 00:32:20,755 Speaker 1: and he had to go work as the president of 498 00:32:20,795 --> 00:32:24,435 Speaker 1: some e sports company. And then they offered him a 499 00:32:24,515 --> 00:32:28,155 Speaker 1: year later. And I have not heard anything about Tony 500 00:32:28,195 --> 00:32:34,675 Speaker 1: Pettiti since literally, it's been absolute silence, not a single 501 00:32:34,835 --> 00:32:54,155 Speaker 1: spoken word. And why does that sound so familiar? To 502 00:32:54,275 --> 00:32:56,395 Speaker 1: the larger point, how many people have tried to get 503 00:32:56,395 --> 00:32:59,235 Speaker 1: me fired? I gotta make a list. This may take weeks. 504 00:32:59,675 --> 00:33:02,035 Speaker 1: It's gotta be at least twenty. In addition to that, 505 00:33:02,075 --> 00:33:05,755 Speaker 1: baseball owner Jackie Autrey, one guy I worked with a sportscaster, 506 00:33:06,115 --> 00:33:08,955 Speaker 1: tried to get me fired at ESPN and then tried 507 00:33:08,955 --> 00:33:12,595 Speaker 1: to get me fired at Fox. Countdown has come to 508 00:33:12,635 --> 00:33:16,435 Speaker 1: you from the studios of Alderman Broadcasting Empire World headquarters 509 00:33:16,475 --> 00:33:19,195 Speaker 1: in the Sports Capsule Building in New York. Thank you 510 00:33:19,275 --> 00:33:22,155 Speaker 1: for listening. Here the credits. Most of the music, including 511 00:33:22,155 --> 00:33:25,795 Speaker 1: our theme from Beethoven's Ninth, was arranged, produced, and performed 512 00:33:25,835 --> 00:33:28,355 Speaker 1: by Brian Ray and John Philip Channel. They are the 513 00:33:28,355 --> 00:33:32,075 Speaker 1: Countdown musical directors. Guitars based and drums by Brian Ray, 514 00:33:32,475 --> 00:33:35,715 Speaker 1: all orchestration and keyboards by John Philip Chanelle produced by 515 00:33:35,795 --> 00:33:39,035 Speaker 1: t k O Brothers. Other Beethoven selections have been arranged 516 00:33:39,075 --> 00:33:42,475 Speaker 1: and performed by No Horns Allowed. The sports music is 517 00:33:42,515 --> 00:33:45,475 Speaker 1: the Alderman theme from ESPN Too, and it was written 518 00:33:45,515 --> 00:33:49,435 Speaker 1: by Mitch Warren Davis. Courtesy of ESPN inc musical comments 519 00:33:49,515 --> 00:33:52,475 Speaker 1: or Nancy Fauss. The best baseball stadium organist ever. Our 520 00:33:52,515 --> 00:33:56,115 Speaker 1: announcer today was Tony Kornheiser. Everything else is pretty much 521 00:33:56,195 --> 00:33:59,475 Speaker 1: my fault. So that's countdown for this, the seven hundred 522 00:33:59,515 --> 00:34:03,235 Speaker 1: and sixty fifth day since Donald Trump's first attempted coup 523 00:34:03,235 --> 00:34:06,875 Speaker 1: against the democratically elected government of the United States. Arrest 524 00:34:06,955 --> 00:34:11,315 Speaker 1: him now while we still can. The next scheduled countdown 525 00:34:11,395 --> 00:34:13,715 Speaker 1: is tomorrow, and until then, I'm Keith all Reman, good morning, 526 00:34:13,795 --> 00:34:23,235 Speaker 1: good afternoon. What was that name again? And I'm Keith Olberman, 527 00:34:24,195 --> 00:34:29,035 Speaker 1: good morning, good afternoon, good night. And this is the 528 00:34:29,075 --> 00:34:31,115 Speaker 1: reason you should listen to the end of the podcast. 529 00:34:31,155 --> 00:34:43,315 Speaker 1: Every day. Good Luck Countdown with Keith old Reman is 530 00:34:43,315 --> 00:34:46,915 Speaker 1: a production of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts from 531 00:34:46,955 --> 00:34:50,635 Speaker 1: I heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 532 00:34:50,875 --> 00:34:52,875 Speaker 1: or wherever you get your podcasts.